On June 7, a mini-career panel was held at Ashley Park PreK–8 in West Charlotte, North Carolina. USGBC volunteers were welcomed by Jarvis Lamb’s 6th grade class as they led an interactive presentation about careers in sustainability and announced an upcoming green wall installation at their school.

Sam Snodgrass, a 2017 Rob Eggers Memorial Scholarship winner, developed his multi-phase plan for a green wall this past spring. Knowledgeable about the importance of a healthy indoor environment, Snodgrass was passionate about doing the installation in an urban, educational space. With the school sitting just outside Charlotte’s city center and already having a relationship with the USGBC communities in the Carolinas region, Snodgrass moved his plan into action.

Mindful of the large project at hand, the volunteers began with a presentation in the last week of school to introduce ideas and create discussion with the students prior to a green wall installation. Three volunteers joined students at Ashley Park, while two project managers from USGBC, Suzanne Haerther and Jessica Wilson, joined by video conference from Atlanta and Wilmington.

Snodgrass taught the students about sustainability, green building and healthy indoor environments. Amy Hockett, of National Gypsum, introduced her career as an architect and discussed the production of gypsum. She also identified architectural elements that reduce pollution and promote reuse. Allyssa Calderhead, of Optima Engineering, talked about the significance of energy monitoring in buildings and the importance of volunteering in your community.

Virtually present from Wilmington, Wilson gave a tour of the largest green wall in North Carolina, at 21 South Front Street. Located in an old elevator shaft, the installation is over three stories tall and contains several variegated plant species. From three floors up, Wilson provided insight on the design process, installation and maintenance of the project, while the students watched from their school’s media center.

After the close of Wilson’s tour, the volunteers surprised Lamb’s class with the news of their own green wall, planned for installation during the next school year. The 6th graders ended on a high note by voting on four different wall designs, choosing what they’d like to see in their school and driving this Green Apple Day of Service into the next phase.